I have saved the visit to the Lana Temple to the last day – don’t ask me why. Visit www.lanatemple.com.cn I think you’ll find everything you need to know.

Although fortunately I arrived whilst all the monks were chanting in a ceremony within one of the temples, the rest is very similar to other temples I have visited.

Lost in translation!! In the scene where Bill Murray is drinking and listening to the band, it’s just like that with a cello, sax, piano and drums. The real jazz quartet – “nice”. And now joining them is a high heeled slim vocalist. She is so deft with the rhythm. For this is brunch on a Sunday in the Intercontinental. I cannot quite make out what she is singing; it’s the hotel version of a pub singer and they will probably require applause.

The smog is the worst to date and I am sure it impacts everyone. In the lounge last night I heard four or five people coughing. I too have that all too familiar feeling with the tightening of the chest.

The Temple of Heaven is the south east of the city, surrounded by parks and like all Beijing attractions it’s accessible by the third ring road.

What an auspicious date, maybe that’s why I slept in – not sure whether to rest and have a day about the hotel.

Panda’s – they are an odd animal and as the zoo is literally ten minutes away by taxi I might as well go and see. As far as the weather, it’s smoggy again with low cloud and visibility a couple of hundred metres.

We are off northeast heading towards Mutianyu Great Wall with Liu driving, having organised this the previous day with the concierge.

A major new highway has been opened less than 20 days. As it’s a toll road very few cars are using it so our route is unhindered and smooth, so I am able to catch a short nap.

I am determined to get round the Palace Museum or commonly known as the Forbidden City until it was opened up to the public. When it was founded in 1406 by one of the dynasties it was built upon, added and amended through all the dynastic changes.

It is central to Beijing smack in the middle with two main entrances…

Last night I awoke at midnight and the construction was still going on where they are doing the ground works about a block away. Working 24/7 with lights at night and heavy construction equipment they were still going this morning when I woke.

The tourist map gives no scale so the walk about today became a marathon.

OK I have closed it twice and its popped open every time I have lifted it. What the blazes have I bought?

Even discover the bell-boy trying to re-close the case at the lift as it’s opened again. Now for that famous pink plastic string to hold it together, even this can’t stop it opening at the Maglev train.

Not an early start but who cares. Get the old eggs benedict in and then head down to the old area, which has been painstakingly upgraded, renovated, cleaned, spruced – it’s had the Covent Garden treatment. Too clean and precise to give any real feeling for the area. Not my cup of tea, in fact couldn’t get one even though I sat upstairs in the teashop for forty minutes.

There’s a Starbucks everywhere, hot on the heels of a McDonalds everywhere. Now you can’t be lost if you find a Starbucks – the Little Chef of new millennium. Even the staff, colleagues, …..or whatever they prefer to be called have phoney Harvard accents or maybe that’s where they end up.

There are places to start the discovery tour but some can’t beat the sitting down to a bowl of ten boiled sheep’s eyes.

After a morning around Yua Yuan gardens and the old city I fancied some nourishment. The road side cafes and takeaway stalls were heaving so I headed up the road away from the manic thousands out celebrating autumn day.

13.7 million people live in the sprawl of Shanghai, which is why it seemed that the car from the airport was taking hours.

First impressions are usually right, so they say. I am not sure what to make of this city having only arrived a few hours ago and only ventured a few blocks from the hotel.